Primary Schools

100 Million Years Ago

Students will role play being a museum palaeontologist with their very own clipboard and ‘data’ sheet as they tour our Ancient Queensland gallery with a Museum Learning Officer. Students will be asked to look closely at animals that lived 100 million years ago and identify from their external features what they ate, where they lived, how they protected themselves and compare these to animals alive today.

This program is ideal for early primary audiences and is designed to complement the Year 1 Biological Sciences curriculum and the Primary Connections Dinosaurs and more unit.

Curriculum: Science │ Biological Sciences

Your Shipwreck Adventure

Students will learn about ships, shipwrecks and archaeological excavations. Students will be able to ask questions about and handle real museum artefacts from our most famous shipwrecks, the HMS Pandora, the SS Yongala, and Foam before going on their very own underwater archaeological dig in the Your Shipwreck Adventure gallery. Students get to keep their ‘data’ sheet.

This program is ideal for lower primary classes and aligns with Australian Curriculum Foundation to Year 2 HASS Inquiry and Skills sub strands, and shows how stories of the past can be communicated at museums.

Curriculum: HASS │History

Creature Features

Students will handle, observe and group museum animal specimens on display in the Level 2 Galleries on the basis of their observable features, including birds, reptiles, mammals, fish, amphibians and insects. Other activities include a warm up ‘pencil case classification’ exercise and a final classification game.

This program is suited to mid primary audiences and is designed to complement the Year 3 Biological Sciences curriculum.

Curriculum: Science │ Biological Sciences

All Aboard! 18th Century Maritime Exploration

Students will learn about the voyage of HMS Pandora, a British Naval ship wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef in 1791, and participate in hands-on activities that introduce students to the daily chores of different crew members on board an 18th century sailing ship. Students are then invited to explore the Pandora exhibition to understand the role of maritime archaeology in revealing the past.

This program is ideal for the Year 4 History curriculum as it chronicles the journey of another world navigator, Captain Edward Edwards, and introduces students to life on board a First Fleet era ship.

Curriculum: HASS │History

Extreme Adaptations

Students will be introduced to the extreme environments of the deep sea, mangroves and rainforest and some of the unique and fascinating animals that have adapted to call these places home. Students will then be asked to combine their learning with their imaginations to design a new species to inhabit one of the Museum’s extreme environments.

This program is suited for an upper primary audience and uses the Museum’s extensive environment and taxidermy displays to complement both the Year 5 and Year 6 Biological Sciences curriculum.